Liberty Square Market

MAGIC KINGDOM | Light Snack
Posted on Tuesday, August 30, 2016
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this review score
68
current site average
71

Liberty Square Market

MAGIC KINGDOM | Light Snack
Posted on Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Kiosk or Cart
Vegetarian Options
American
$5-14 per entree**
food
service
enviro
value
THIS REVIEW SCORE :
68
The aptly named Liberty Square Market, is set in the middle of the Magic Kingdom's "Liberty Square" themed area, and might easily be overlooked as just another grab-and-go location.

There are quite a few no-cover, full-sun, tables and chairs (in what would otherwise be a giant stroller parking lot), just behind the main market kiosk building… so at least there's a place to sit. However, take a quick look into the main market kiosk, and you'll see mostly packaged and fresh, fruit, chips, maybe a bottled water here and there, and bags of insanely overpriced Craisins® (Ocean Spray is the current "host" of the market).

These things are an important part of any theme park experience I suppose, but what I'm interested in is the food. Now, you may have to do some looking around to find the tiny little sign, but The Liberty Square Market usually has a couple of rather wholesome, served warm, almost made to order snacks that fit in quite nicely with the whole mid 1800's vibe of the place.

There are baked sweet (and usually "regular") potatoes on the menu board along with the item I'm reviewing here today… Roasted Corn in the Shuck (more commonly referred to in this century as Grilled Corn on the Cob). Sometimes, the little, hard to find menu signs that are dotted around the booth refer to the item as "Italian Spice Corn" for some bizarre reason. (No offense to Italy naturally, I'm just not sure how they fit into the whole "Birth of America" thing we've got going on in this part of the park). There are a few giant salt shakers to the side of the registers that might shed some light on the internationally advertised corn. "Italian, "Cajun Spice", "BBQ", and "Jamaican Jerk" salts could be shook on your shuck I suppose, turing your plain old American ear of roasted corn into something more worldly.

None of that for me though, I like my roasted corn as field to feast as I can get it. I have to give Disney credit for keeping this one simple and just about as pure and fresh as you can get an ear of corn. It would be easier to boil half-ears and dowse them in butter until all you get is a soggy mess. I'm happy to report that isn't what is happening here. The ears are roasted on a grill that's located just behind the register, in small batches (and with the shucks on), to help ensure you'll get a freshly grilled ear of corn. (You may even be told to return in a half-hour or so, because the demand occasionally outpaces the supply, and it takes 15-20 minutes to grill an ear of corn.)

Wrapped simply in a white paper wrapper, the corn is hot, and a little messy. They do get the shuck partially removed for you though, so the process of getting to your fresh corn is a little easier.

While it's true that this golden kernel snack isn't going to win any multi-level culinary awards, there is a sweetness and smokiness to fresh grilled corn that you don't get from canned corn, or even freshly boiled corn. If you manage to sit in just the right spot, you can imagine (just for a second) that this might really have been a street-snack 250-ish years ago in any Liberty Town across the Colonies of America.

The added bonus that it's probably the most healthful quick snack that you'll find at the Magic Kingdom, is what makes me give this one a "must try" recommendation… especially if it's autumn in the parks. There's nothing like a fresh roasted corn on the cob just as the Mickey-Pumpkin decorations are going up and we're getting our first cool-snap here in sunny Florida!

Have you ever visited any of these dining locations in our Magic Kingdom directory?